Game of Thrones: Episode 3 - The Sword in The DarknessReview

A lot is packed into this eventful two-hour episode of Telltale’s Game of Thrones. It begins with an action-heavy cameo appearance by one of Daenerys' dragons, then sets Gared on a dangerous path, and sees Mira struggle with multiple layers of intrigue. The cycle of abuse by the Whitehills occupying Ironrath is starting to sound like a broken record, though.

Across the Narrow Sea, Asher Forrester’s scenes force you to decide where your version of this character’s priorities lie. Telltale’s done a good job establishing his relationship with Beskha, making it hard to forsake her even for the good of the family, represented by Asher's wooden uncle Malcolm.

At the Wall, Gared’s again pushed to pick sides between his two companions in the Night's Watch. Here, as a result of Telltale's signature "helix" storytelling structure, in which story paths diverge only to be reunited a short time later, the previous episode's decisions were noticeably robbed of consequence – I felt I was too easily able to talk my way back into the good graces of whichever character I’d wronged. However, the Wall scenes are redeemed by a few good twists in the story.

Specifically, the mystery of the North Grove starts to take shape, and with it, Gared finally gains a purpose in this story beyond tempting us to blab every secret he learns to anyone who'll listen (don't worry - he gets another chance here). He also gets an opportunity for righteous revenge – rare for a Game of Thrones character – but I like how it’s hinted that it’ll have major consequences. We all know what happens when someone dies north of the Wall...

Back at Ironrath, the arrival of Lord Whitehill’s even more antagonistic son Griff seems redundant. The Forresters have already been tormented by Ramsay Snow/Bolton, Lord Whitehill himself, and the nameless Whitehill soldiers, and the interaction between Griff and Rodrik is a retread of the ring-kissing scene in Episode 2. Sacrificing Forrester pride for the greater good is no easier to do the second time, though. The redeeming piece of the Ironrath story here is a revelation from a new source, which ups the potential for intrigue – but actually investigating it has to wait until next time.

In King’s Landing, Mira’s story gets more tense and interesting. She’s now involved in a coverup of her own, and we have to avoid tensions between Tyrion Lannister and Margaery Tyrell that weren’t present in the show or books, so I didn't see them coming. Even though they might not be positive outcomes, it’s empowering to see that the decisions we’ve made about whether to get involved with Tyrion have big ramifications for our relationship with Margaery, especially during the events of her wedding to Joffery. Mira’s mission to get help for the Forresters back home turns into a struggle just to minimize the damage.

The Verdict

Events are finally moving forward! Gared’s story is now almost as complex and full of potential as Mira’s, and Asher’s left off in a very interesting place. If Rodrik can break Ironrath out of its repetitive loop, Telltale’s Game of Thrones will be firing on all cylinders in the second half of this six-episode season.